I was quite excited to learn that Mizuno was coming out with a combined Ronin/ Musha replacement that had the new U4ic material. Having recently switched to the Wave Sayonara for my longer runs I have come to love the springy yet firm responsive midsole this material provides. I was counting down the days until January when I was told this shoe would be released in Canada. Well now it’s January and so my Mizuno fairy sent me a model to test. Here is my review.
The Fit:
I have found with all Mizuno shoes ( and one of the reasons they are the only shoes I now wear) is that they fit like a fine glove. I don’t have the narrowest or prettiest of feet! Mizuno shoes fit just snug enough to feel like an extension of your foot without feeling constricting. I like a shoe that fits close to the foot and close to the ground. Fresh out of the box, these shoes gave me that feeling before I even ran in them. Narrow or wide foot, I think for most they would fit equally as well. I have many clients with narrow feet that also wear Mizuno and find they fit great.
The Ride:
The first run I did was on the treadmill ( Polar Vortex weather!!) and about 6 km. From the first steps I knew I would love the feel of these shoes. Compared to the Musha, they feel very similar in fit but have just that slight bit of extra dampening when striking mid to forefoot. I enjoyed the Musha for its lightweight and close to the ground feel, however I found that after about 12-14 km I needed just that extra bit of cushion or spring under my foot. These shoes provide that little bit extra. For those runners looking for a middle distance shoe and not needing much extra
protection this would be a good option. Alternatively, if you are used to a more stable long run shoe this could be a good choice for shorter distance training, racing or speed work.
The next run I did was 13 km outside and the ride was just as smooth and springy. I can say that all Mizuno models I wear fit and perform in a very similar way. The only difference is that they will vary in their weight and cushion. I absolutely love that about all Mizuno shoes that I wear.
The Look:
Okay so let’s be honest here. As much as we all say ” I don’t buy shoes for their colour, design (insert esthetic quality here….)” , a shoe that looks good makes you want to run in it! The Wave Hitogami looks like a fast shoe. It’s low to the ground profile, light and seamless upper, round blue/white laces and contrasting colours make it a very attractive shoe. When you put the two shoes sideways lateral sides down the pattern forms a Japanese Kabuki theatre face mask design. I received the white/blue/yellow combination. After many versions of pink shoes ( I love pink shoes, and the women’s version also comes in a pink / blue combo) having a white pair of shoes again was a welcome change.
Final Impressions:
So I will not claim to be a professional shoe reviewer . I am an elite age group triathlete looking for a running shoe that provides me just the right amount of spring, cushion, lightness, and feel for the ground . I wear a variety of models (from the Wave Universe and Wave Ekiden for speed work and shorter races, to the Wave Sayonara for longer runs and races) and find the Wave Hitogami fits right in. It is a great responsive middle distance shoe that fits like a comfortable glove on my feet and allows me to still have a close to the ground feel with adequate spring and road dampening all in one. This shoe could fit the range of 5km to marathon shoe depending on
one’s preference and biomechanical requirements for their shoe.
Elise Yanover
Elise is a long time competitive amateur triathlete and Physiotherapist with 20+ years experience treating runners and athletes of all kinds. She also has an online coaching business for runners and triathletes looking to reach that next distance goal or PB. She is very passionate about biomechanics in running and does gait analysis and shoe recommendations as part of her practice. Elise also has a self admitted running shoe and apparel fetish. She is mom to an active 10 year old girl and is married to a man who also runs and races.
